The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has urged the State government to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the gamut of issues pertaining to the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project from 1995 when the government signed a framework agreement with Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise.

After inaugurating a convention of lawyers organised by Janata Dal (Secular) Legal Cell, here on Sunday, Mr. Gowda said though he signed the framework agreement as Chief Minister, he was not aware of the subsequent developments.

He said he had understood the impact of the project when he contested the byelection to the Lok Sabha from the Kanakapura constituency in 2002. The amendment to the Land Reforms Act brought during his tenure as Chief Minister had been misused by the land, Mr. Gowda alleged.

Vowing to fight the injustice done to farmers by the company handling the BMIC project, he regretted that the United Progressive Alliance government, which was claiming credit for introducing the Land Acquisition Bill, had focussed on issues pertaining to the northern part of the country.

Blaming foreign direct investment for the plight of peasants in the country, Mr. Gowda said the unholy nexus of bureaucrats and politicians had led to the snatching away of their land and livelihood.

Attributing the growing popularity of the Aam Aadmi Party to the increasing corruption in the country, he said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself admitted recently that it was impossible to eradicate corruption in the present system.

“The former Union Law Minister Shanti Bhusan in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court recently said at least eight of the 16 Chief Justices of India were ‘definitely corrupt’.